Method for handling of cheese blocks

Abstract

A method and device for handling cheese blocks. Compressed cheese curd is released from the inner wall of a mould and after a turning operation is evacuated from the mould, with the mould rotated, lowered and shaken or blown. A lifting gripper is guided as far as the stop on a pick-up device, and in the mould the cheese block is subjected to a shaking movement. The mould, that is to say, the cassette, is then raised, rotated and guided back into the cassette press, so that the cheese block can be fixed in position on the lifting gripper by a clamping means. The pick-up plunger with the cheese block is then lowered, that is to say, retracted, the lifting gripper is traversed towards a secondary mould for the cheese block, preferably downwards, the clamping means open, and the cheese block is positioned in a secondary mould.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for handling a plurality of cheese blocks that have beforehand been pressed out of a cheese curd into a corresponding plurality of moulds of a cassette press, the moulds being arranged in a cassette, the method comprising:
 performing an operation of shaking or blowing the cheese curd compressed in the moulds so that the compressed cheese curd is released from an inner wall of the moulds, 
 wherein before the shaking or blowing operation:
 a) the cassette containing the moulds is rotated and lowered, 
 b) for each of the moulds in the cassette, a pick-up plunger retracts into the mould up to the cheese block, and 
 c) a lifting gripper is lowered as far as a stop on a pick-up device, and 
 
 after the shaking or blowing operation:
 d) the cassette containing the moulds is raised, rotated, and guided back into its initial position in the cassette press, and the lifting gripper is raised, 
 e) each of the cheese blocks is fixed in position on the lifting gripper by a clamping device, 
 f) the lifting gripper is traversed towards secondary moulds for the cheese blocks, and 
 g) the clamping devices open and each of the cheese blocks is positioned in one of the secondary moulds. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein each of the cheese blocks is pushed into one of the secondary moulds. 
     
     
       3. The method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein for each of the cheese blocks, an ejector pushes the cheese block into one of the secondary moulds and then the ejector is retracted into its initial position. 
     
     
       4. The method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein in step b), the pick-up plunger retracts into the mould so as to be located a small distance from the cheese block. 
     
     
       5. The method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein in step b), the pick-up plunger retracts into the mould so as to be located on the cheese block. 
     
     
       6. The method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the shaking or blowing operation includes shaking and blowing. 
     
     
       7. The method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein before the shaking or blowing operation, the pick-up device is retracted under the lifting gripper into a workspace. 
     
     
       8. The method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein after the shaking or blowing operation, for each of the moulds in the cassette, the pick-up plunger extends out of the mould with the cheese block lying on the pick-up plunger. 
     
     
       9. The method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the cassette is positioned above the pick-up device. 
     
     
       10. The method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the shaking or blowing operation includes shaking, the shaking movement is executed horizontally or vertically, and takes place at least once. 
     
     
       11. The method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein each of the cheese blocks is slid into one of the secondary moulds. 
     
     
       12. The method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein before the shaking or blowing operation, for each of the moulds in the cassette, the pick-up plunger is guided into the mould. 
     
     
       13. The method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein after step g), the lifting gripper is guided back into its initial position. 
     
     
       14. The method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein after the lifting gripper has traversed towards the secondary moulds, the pick-up device retracts. 
     
     
       15. The method in accordance with  claim 14 , wherein for each of the cheese blocks, an ejector pushes the cheese block into one of the secondary moulds and then the ejector is retracted into its initial position. 
     
     
       16. A method for handling a plurality of cheese blocks that have been pressed out of a cheese curd into a corresponding plurality of moulds of a cassette press, the moulds being arranged in a cassette, the method comprising:
 rotating and lowering the cassette containing the moulds, and lowering a lifting gripper as far as a stop on a pick-up device; 
 after the rotating and lowering of the cassette, performing an operation of shaking or blowing the cheese curd compressed in the moulds to release the compressed cheese from the moulds; 
 after the performing of the shaking or blowing operation, raising the cassette containing the moulds, rotating it, and guiding it back into the cassette press, and raising the lifting gripper; 
 after raising the cassette, using a clamping device to fix each of the cheese blocks in position on the lifting gripper; 
 after using the clamping device to fix each of the cheese blocks, lowering the lifting gripper towards secondary moulds for the cheese blocks; and 
 after lowering the lifting gripper towards the secondary moulds, opening the clamping devices and sliding or pushing the cheese blocks into the secondary moulds. 
 
     
     
       17. The method in accordance with  claim 16 , further comprising:
 after the rotating and lowering of the cassette and before the performing of the shaking or blowing operation, retracting a pick-up plunger into each of the moulds in the cassette up to the cheese block; and 
 after the performing of the shaking or blowing operation, for each of the moulds in the cassette, extending the pick-up plunger, with the cheese block lying thereon, out of the mould. 
 
     
     
       18. The method in accordance with  claim 16 , wherein after the shaking or blowing operation, each of the cheese blocks lies on a pick-up plunger. 
     
     
       19. The method in accordance with  claim 16 , further comprising:
 after lowering the lifting gripper towards the secondary moulds, retracting the pick-up device, 
 wherein sliding or pushing the cheese blocks into the secondary moulds comprises using an ejector to push each of the cheese blocks into one of the secondary moulds and then retracting the ejector.